Rolling machine



J April 14, 1959 c. P. DYKEN 2,381,984

- ROLLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CHARLES P. DYKEN c. P. DYKEN ROLLING MACHINE A ril 14, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 9, 1956' IN VEN TOR.

CHARLES P. DYKEN PARKER 8. CARTER ATTORN EYS April 14, 1959 Filed Ogt. 9, 1956 P. DYKEN .ROLLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. CHARLES P. DYKEN PARKER & CARTER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 1 2,881,984 ROLLING MACHINE Charles P. Dyken, West Bend, Wis. Application October 9, 1956, Serial No. 614,853 6 Claims. (Cl. 24266) My invention relates to rolling machines and more particularly to a machine for rolling sheet material such as paper, rugs, insulation, or any other type of sheet material.

When rolling sheet material of varied widths and thicknesses, it is imperative to provide means for feeding the material and maintaining a proper pressure on the rolls to prevent the material from crushing. This is especially true when rolling rugs having a high nap, or when rolling soft pliable insulating material, or felt.

The prime purpose of my invention is to maintain proper pressure on the material being rolled and to so synchronize the rolling operation in combination with the feed conveyor as to permit varying sizes of material to be rolled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means of rolling sheet material without the necessity of a center arbor.

A further object of my invention is to construct the machine which automatically controls the position of the sheet material being rolled.

Still another object of my invention is to adjust the rollers to enable the material to be rolled with a minimum diameter of core space.

A further object of my invention is to arrange the rollers in combination with a conveyor, so that constant contact of the rollers is maintained as the roll of material increases in diameter.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which will permit the roll to be automatically conveyed, or removed from the machine after the roll is completed.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the machine with parts broken away, illustrating the roller arrangement in relation to the feed and discharge conveyors, and showing the material to be rolled entering the roller arrangement, and also showing the manner in which the roll has its forward edge turned upward and rearward to form a roll without a center core or arbor;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the machine after the material is formed in a cylindrical roll and is ready for discharge from the machine;

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the roller and conveyor arrangement when starting the rolling of the material, showing the small auxiliary roller in engagement with the leading edge of the material when the latter is being started in the rolling operation;

Figure 4 is a similar schematic view showing the position of the auxiliary roller in its relation to the controlled roller, as the roll of material increases in diameter; and

Figure 5 is a similar schematic view with the roll increased to still a large diameter, and illustrating the manner in which the controlling roller contacts the roll as the roll increases in diameter, and with the feed conveyor assuming an angular position for accommodating the roll.

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary view showing the manner in which certain of the rollers each consist of a plurality of spaced discs adapted to nest with similar discs of another roller when adjacent thereto.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and referring now to the same, 10 indicates generally a frame, consisting of a pair of side rails 11 mounted on vertical standards 12. These side rails extend longitudinally along both sides of the machine and support a pair of bearings 13, into which a transverse shaft 14 is rotatably mounted intermediate the ends of the frame. The shaft 14 supports a plurality of grooved pulleys 15. A pair of link members 16 are pivotally mounted at their inner ends adjacent the ends of the shaft 14. Another shaft 17 is rotatably journalled in the opposite ends of the link members 16. A plurality of grooved pulleys 18 spaced in alignment with the pulleys 15, are mounted on the shaft 17. Conveyor belts 19 are trained over the pulleys 15 and 18 to constitute a feed conveyor for feeding the material to be rolled, the leading end of which is indicated at 20.

An unloading conveyor is mounted on the rails 11 in spaced relation from the transverse shaft 14. This conveyor consists of a transverse shaft 22, journalled in bearings 21, and having flanged pulleys 23 over which a plurality of belts 24 are trained. Said belts are trained over pulleys 25 mounted on a parallel shaft 26, journalled in bearings 27, also mounted on the side rails 11.

A movable roller assembly consists of a shaft 28, journalled in a pair of levers 29, which are pivoted intermediate their ends on the shaft 14 and are counterbalanced by weights pivoted at 30. This shaft 28 supports a plurality of discs 31, and is driven by a belt 32 trained over a pulley 33 on the shaft 28, and a double pulley 34, on the shaft 14, which is driven in turn by a motor 35 shown in phantom, and forming the actuating means for the entire machine. Motor 35 has a pulley 36 connected to the pulley 34 on the shaft 14 by a belt 37. The several shafts described above may be driven by chains and sprockets instead of belts and pulleys.

The movable roller assembly, including the shaft 28 and discs 31, may be moved by suitable means, herein consisting of handles 38 on the members 29, to bring the discs 31 downward between the feed conveyor belts 19 and the unloading belts 24, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 as 31, when the roll is to be moved to the unloading belts 24 for discharging from the machine.

The side rails 11 support a pair of side members consisting of vertical supports 39 and 39', attached at 40 and 41 to the side rails 11. Upper rails 42 join each pair of members 39 and 39' in a forwardly and downwardly inclined angle. Gear racks 43 are disposed along the upper edge of each of the upper inclined rails 42.

Bearings 44 are mounted at opposite ends of each inclined rail 42 and rotatably support the opposite ends of a longitudinally disposed screw 45. A beveled gear 46 is fixed on the lower end of the screw 45. A meshing beveled gear 47 is fixed on the end of a transverse shaft 48 rotatably mounted on the upper end of the vertical member 39. The shaft 48 is driven by a belt 49 trained over a pulley 50 on the shaft 48. The pulley 34 is attached to the end of the shaft 14 so that the screws 45 are revolved by the motor 36.

A transverse shaft 52 having a pair of pinions 53 fixed at each end thereof, supports a plurality of discs 54 constituting part of an auxiliary roller assembly. The pinions 53 engage the gear racks 43 on the inclined upper rails 42. The shaft 52 has brackets 55 at opposite ends which are threadedly supported on the screws 45, so that when the screw 45 revolves in either direction it will cause the entire auxiliary roller assembly including discs 54 to move upward or downward along the racks 43.

The auxiliary roller assembly includes a plurality of discs 54 which are mounted on shaft 52 and mesh with the discs 31. A shaft 57 supports one end of a toggle link arrangement, including a link 58 pivotally connected at 59 to a second link member 60, rotatably supported on the shaft 52. The end of shaft 57 slideably engages in a longitudinal slot 61 in the inclined rail 42, and is actuated by means of belts or chains 62 and 62' over pulleys or sprockets 63 and 63 and 63" on one of the toggle link arrangements. As the shaft 52 moves upward along the rack 43, the discs 56 on the shaft 57 tend to stay in contact with the material 12 being rolled by gravity, as indicated in-Figures 3 and 4, and when the shaft 52 moves farther upward on the rack 43 the discs 56 will lose contact with the material 12, and only the disc 54 will remain in contact with the material 12, as indicated in Figure 5.

An arcuate shoe member 64 is pivoted on the shaft 57 in spaced relation from the discs 56, to retain contact with the leading edge of the material 12, as shown in Figure 3, untilthe auxiliary roller assembly is raised, as shown in Figure 4.

A-pair of bell crank levers 65 are pivoted at 66 on the vertical supports 39. These levers 65 are each connected at'o'neend67 to links 68 rotatably supporting the shaft 1 7 at the outer end of the feed conveyor, and at their other end 69 to a link 70. Said links 70 are rotatably mounted at their opposite ends on the shaft 52 of the auxiliary roller assembly. The link members 70 have longitudinal slots 71 to permit slideable movement at the point of pivot connection 69 with the bell crank levers 65, as indicated in Figure 2. Shaft 17 of the feed conveyor is lowered by the bell crank levers as the size of the roll of material increases, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The upward movement of the rollerassembly carrying the discs 54, by means of the screws 45, may be re versed by revolving the screw 45 in the opposite directionby a conventional reversing mechanism (not shown), or by any other manual or mechanical means, such as temporary disengagement of the threaded brackets 55 from-the -threads 45, or by any other conventional manner well :known in the art.

The use and operation is as follows: As the conveyor belts 19 carry the material 12 toward the roller mechanism, the shoe 64 will retain the leading edge of the material in contact with the belts 19. As the leading edge contacts the discs 31 revolving as shown in Figure 3, the edge of the material 1-2 is curled upward to engage theperipheral surfaces of the discs 54 and thence downward to contact the periphery .of the auxiliary discs '56, as shown in Figure 3. This starts the material into a roll with no arbor. By referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, .it will be noted that as the diameter of the roll increases, the disc 54 will be caused to rise on the racks 43, to control the pressure on the material 12. It will be noted in Figure 4 that the auxiliary roller discs 56 retain contact with the material even after the discs 54 move upwarduntil the diameter of the roll of material increases as shown in Figure 5, when the discs 56 no longer contact the roll. Also, the forward end of the conveyor .belt 19 is brought downward by the links 65, 68 and 70 so as to permit the roll to be continuously rolled by the belts 19, the discs 31 and the discs 54.

\When the roll is completed the discs 31 may be moved downward by handle 38, as shown at 31' in Figure 1, and the completed roll may then be rolled onto the discharge conveyor belts 24 for unloading from the machine. The discs 54 andSGmay-then be brought down into the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 and the entire operation maybe repeated.

Although I have shown and described a certain embodiment of .my invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

vIclaim:

1. In a machine for rolling sheet material a main frame, a feed conveyor including a conveyor frame havingendless belts guidedabout opposite ends thereof, the innertend of said conveyor frame being pivotally supported on said main frame, a roller support arm pivotally mounted on said main frame concentric with the pivoted end of said conveyor frame, a roller journalled on said support arm having a plurality of discs spaced therealong, with the peripheries of said discs adjacent the pivoted end of said feed conveyor frame, means for rotating said feed conveyor belts and said first roller, upstanding sub-frames at opposite sides of said main frame having inwardly and downwardly inclined guideways therealong, a second roller having bearing means guided for movement along said inclined guideways, said second roller having a plurality of discs spaced therealong for interfitting engagement with the discs on said first-named roller, and means connecting the bearings of said second roller with the free end of said conveyor frame for swinging the latter end away from said second roller as the latter moves upwardly along said guideways in response to increase in size of a roller of material formed between said first and second rollers and said conveyor.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein a third auxiliary roller of relatively small diameter is supported at opposite ends for slideable movement along the inclined guideway, and means connecting said second and third rollers for simultaneous translational movement and also for simultaneous rotation in engagement with the leading edge of the rolled material at the beginning of the rolling operation.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the means connecting the second and third rollers also supports an arcuately curved guide plate along the lower periphery of the second roller in position to engage the leading edge of the rolled material as it passes along the feed conveyor, but with the inner periphery of said third roller exposed to engage the leading edge of the rolled material after it has been curled backwardly toward said third roller.

4. In a machine for rolling sheet material a main frame, a feed conveyor including a conveyor frame having endless belts guided about opposite ends thereof, the inner end of said conveyor frame being pivotally supported on said main frame, a roller support arm pivotally mounted on said main frame concentric with the pivoted end of said conveyor frame, a roller journalled on said support arm having a plurality of discs spaced therealong, with the peripheries of said discs adjacent the pivoted end of said feed conveyor frame, means for rotating said feed conveyor belts and said first roller, upstanding sub-frames at opposite sides of said main frame having inwardly and downwardly inclined guideways therealong, a second roller having bearing means including pinione guided for movement along racks on said inclined guideways, said second roller having a plurality of discs spaced therealong for interfitting engagement with the discs on said first-named roller, and means connecting the bearings of said second roller with the free end of said conveyor frame for swinging the latter end away from said second roller as the latter moves upwardly along said guideways in response to increase in size of a roll of material formed between said first and second rollers and said conveyor.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein the sub-frames have a pair of screw members rotatably supported along their inclined guideways, the bearings of said second roller have threaded engagement on said screw members, and means are provided for rotating said screw members.

6. The structure of claim 4, wherein an unloading conveyor is mounted on the frame generally in horizontal alignment with the feed conveyor, but spaced therefrom to permit the roller on the support arm to be swung downwardly between the adjacent ends of the unloading and feed conveyors transferring a roll of material to the unloading conveyor.

Hornbostel Aug. 29, 1944 Dyken June 9, 1953 

